Railroad photography in Springfield, MA area

Hi All

Just moved to the U.S. from UK and settled near Springfield, MA. I was wondering whether anyone could recommend a location to photograph freight trains that ply the area?

Being (very) new I don't know one line from another so directions/highway numbers would be good. I'd be happy to post a few of the resulting shots on the forum if someone can help!!

How can I resist to respond? Take the Mass Pike to Exit 8 in Palmer. Once you pay the toll, turn right onto route 32 and proceed straight until you reach the second set of lights. You'll have to turn either right or left. TURN LEFT! Directly to your right or in front of you, you will see the Palmer station and the crossing of CSX and NEC. Just follow the roads into the station area and wait a bit. You'll see plenty! Another route is to come from Springfield on route 20. Once you reach the business district, the rail lines will be on your right. Check also my post titled "The Future of Palmer, MA."

Also there is the Springfield Amtrak Station.

Another good spot is in West Springfield where there are two grade crossings on the CSXT main. (Bridge Street & First Street in West Springfield).

As for posting pics, there is a site called New England Photo Archive which is specifically designed for hosting pictures.


For more information on CSXT activity you can also check out this Group on Yahoo. The group is members only, but it's free.

Guilford's E. Deerfield yard is just up north off Interstate 91. There is a "railfan bridge" (complete with railfans) over the west end of the yard at the interlocking known as "East Deerfield West." Not a ton of action but often lots of foreign power plus the GRS roster of locomotive antiquities.

If you drive out the Mass Pike west to the Albany area, you can visit CSX' massive Selkirk classification yard.

And of course if you go south the New Haven Amtrak station, you can find Amtrak Acelas and Regionals plus CDOT/MN commuter MUs.

Springfield Amtrak station itself is not a bad place to take pictures.

Thanks all! Spent an enjoyable couple of hours at Palmer earlier. Will check out the other recommendations soon too!

You can also travel west a bit and catch CSX crossing the Berkshires. Rte. 20 runs along side the tracks for a while and then branches off on its own. If you get a good atlas, I would suggest Delorme Massachusetts Atlas & Gazetteer. You can catch some of the remnants of the steam era in Chester. You can see some great scenery too. And if you want to go out even a little further... There is always Selkirk, NY. the show is pretty much continuous out there.

If you go north, I would suggest East Deerfield and Bellows Falls, Vermont. There might not be a lot of traffic in Vermont, but the scenery is gorgeous. Also, if you head west on Rte. 2 out of Greenfield you can make your way out to the Hoosac Tunnel. Again, the Delorme will come in handy.

Sullivan